Road-bed construction for railways.



PATENTED MAR.29,1904.

W. H. SWIGART. ROAD BED GONSTRUGTION FOR RAILWAYS. APPLIOATIOH FILED NHL-29, 1903.

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UNITED STATES Patented March 29, 1904.

PATENT O FICE.

ROAD-BED CONSTRUCTION FOR RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 755,810, dated March 29, 1904.

Application filed December 29, 1.903.. Serial No. 187,033. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. SWIGART, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lucas, in the county of Richland and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Road-Bed Construction for Railways; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

reliable in resisting the strain placed thereon incident to the passing of heavy trains and to freezing and thawing.

Further objects and advantages will be hereinafter made apparent from the following specification considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are made a part of this application, and in which Figure 1 illustrates aperspective view of a section of road-bed and showing a portion of the track-rails secured thereon. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the transverselydisposed stays or tying-beams.- Fig. 3 is a detail view showing a section of Fig. 4 on line 3 3. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of a trackway or road-bed. Fig. 5 is a sectional View of Fig. 4, taken on line 5 5.

For convenience in referring to the various elements of my invention and cooperating accessories numerals will be employed, the same numeral applying to a similar part throughout the several views.

Referring to the numerals on the drawings, 1 indicates the main or supporting beams, which are disposed beneath, and therefore longitudinal with, the track-rails 2,which latter are made in the usual or any preferred style to adapt them for heavy railway traflic or to meet the requirements of street-railways. It therefore becomes desirable and important to truly aline the main or supporting beams 1 in theirrespective operative positions and securely lock the same, whereby they will be held against all lateral movement incident to the heavy strain placed thereon by passing trains, and more particularly to anchor them in place upon curves which may be made in the track, and with this purpose in View I provide a plurality of interlocking members or cross-beams 3, designed to cooperate with both of the supporting-beams 1, preferably in a manner hereinafter particularly set forth.

The cross-sections or bracing-beams 3 are preferably made of that form of angle-iron shaped like the letter T in cross-section, and

I therefore form at proper intervals througlr,

out the length of the supporting-beams-l a plurality of transversely-disposed recesses of sufficient depth to receive the downwardlyprojecting rib &, it being understood that the meeting ends of two of said beams 1 maybe cut away to receive said downwardly-extending rib or flange 4 between them, or said ends asmuch as the road-bed or support thus provided for the track-rails will be uniform or solid throughout the length thereof.

In some instances suitable apertures 5 are provided in the interlocking members 3, said apertures being located at a proper point to coincide with the desired position occupied by the anchoringspikes 6 for the track-rails 2, the said anchoringspikes being entered in and driven through the apertures 5 into a contiguous part of the beam '1, thereby insuring that not only the trackrail will be reliably anchored in its operative position, but that the beam 1 and staying members 3 shall be secured against relative movement by said anchoring-spikes, I also in some instances provide the struck-up lips 7, formed integral from the edges of the staying members 3, at a proper point to snugly receive between them the edges of the base of the trackrail, suitable apertures 8 being formed in the staying member to permit proper anchoring pins to be driven therethrough into a contiguouspart of the beams 1,whereby said staying members and said beams will be held against relative movement and insuring that the beams 1 will be reliably secured in place and prevented from spreading.

If preferred, only an occasional one of the staying members 3 may be provided with the struck-up lips 7, the others being formed substantially as shown in Fig. 1, though I reserve the right to adopt either construction which in practice I may find most desirable.

If preferred, the recesses which are formed in the beam sections 1 may be made in the form illustrated in Fig. 4:, so as to receive the beveled end 9 of the rib 4, this form of recess rendering it unnecessary to cut the recess suificiently deep to seriously weaken the capacity of the beam for supporting the load placed thereon.

In some instances the extreme end of the staying member may be bent downward at right angles to form the terminal 10, it being understood that a suitable recess shall be formed in a contiguous part ofthebeam 1 to receive said terminal 10, whereby said beam will be held against all lateral movementf It will thus be seen that I have provided very reliably efficient means for securely supporting the track-rails in their operative positions and also holding said rails against spreading, and since the beams 1 may be supported upon a solid concrete bed or other preferred form of support a road-bed of permanent character is provided at a comparatively small cost.

IVhile I have described the preferred combination and construction of parts deemed necessary in materializing my invention, I desire to comprehend all substitutes and equivalents which may be considered as falling fairly within the scope thereof.

Believing that the advantages and manner 'of constructing my improved road bed and rail-securing appliance have thus been made clearly apparent,further description is deemed unnecessary.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The herein-described road-bed comprising the main or supporting beams 1 sustained in position by a suitable bed of concrete or the like, in combination with a plurality of staying members or cross-sections 3 having a depending flange or rib 4, said flange being adapted to fit into suitable recesses provided in a contiguous part of said supporting-beams and means cooperating with said staying members to securethe track-railsthereon and lock said staying members and supporting-beams in operative union, all combined substantially as specified and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

v I/VILLIAM H. SWIGART. Witnesses:

N. C. MANNER, H. T. MANNER. 

